Coupling knuckle and lug.



E. P. KINNE.

COUPLING KNUCKLE AND ue.

APPLICATION FILED AUGfH. I915.

Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

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EDMUND P. KINNE, OF ALLIANCE, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN STEEL FOUNDRIES,

' OF NEW 'YORK,'N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

COUPLING KNUCKLE AND LUG.

Specification of Letters Patent.

. Patented Feb. 29, 1916.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDMUND P. KINNE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Alliance, in the county of Stark and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coupling Knuckles and Lugs, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to car couplers and has particular reference to a novel lug and knuckle construction.

It is now becoming common practice to employ reinforcements in connection with the lugs and knuckle hub of car couplers, such reinforcements or so-called knuckle pin protectors including shoulders and stops above and below the knuckle hub. In practice it has been found that accumulations of dirt at the point of engagement of the abutments serve to interfere with the operation of the knuckle and limit its full opening and closing movements. This objection was not present in the old forms of couplers in which the knuckle hub operated between two ears, there being no abutments or shoulders against which dirt could accumulate. I propose to eliminate the objections above noted by providing vent or escape openings contiguous to the shoulders whereby the accumulations of dirt may escape.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure l is a side elevation of a coupler knuckle constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof shown in association with a portion of a coupler head; Fig. 3 shows a slightly modified form; Fig. 4 is a plan view similar to Fig. 2; and Fig. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary plan of the lower coupler lug of my invention.

In the drawings it will be seen that the knuckle comprises a hook portion 10, a hub 11 and a tail 12. Preferably the hook is cored out as at 13, the recess communicating with a vertical opening 14: near the extremity of the hook and extending through the knuckle from top to bottom thereof.

Communicating with the cored opening 13 is a vent opening 15, best shown in Fig. 2, which is located closely adjacent to the end of a reinforcement 16 provided on both the top and bottom of the knuckle hub. The upper lug of the coupler is provided with a reinforcement oppositely located to that of the reinforcement 16, and it will be seen as the knuckle is opened any accumulations of dirt which may be scraped along by the reinforcement on the lug will drop down through the opening 15 and into the cored recess 13. Likewise on the lower lugs 17, shown in Fig. 5, there is provided a reinforcement which terminates in a shoulder 18 and adjacent to this shoulder is an opening 19 through the lug. The corresponding reinforcement 20 on the bottom of the knuckle hub serves to abut the shoulder 18 when the knuckle is closed and any dirt which collects between the reinforcement will drop out through the opening 19.

In Figs. 3 and 4 I have illustrated a slight modification in which the opening 21, corresponding to the opening 15 in Figs. 1 and 2, communicates with a vertical opening 22 through the knuckle hook. In this form the hook is not hollowed or cored out as in Figs. 1 and 2.

The simple means which I have illustrated will serve to facilitate the operation of couplers equipped with knuckle reinforcements and such means is capable of considerable modification. Any modification within the spirit of my claims I consider within the scope of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a car coupler, the combination of a knuckle and attaching lugs, said parts having cooperating reinforcements providing vertical abutments, the abutments on the knuckle and lug being in engagement in an extreme position of the knuckle, said knuckle and one of said lugs being provided with openings adjacent to the abutments whereby to permit the escape of accumulated dirt.

2. A car coupler knuckle having a pivot pin opening and a pivot pin reinforcement, and also provided with an opening extending through the knuckle With an upper porand a reinforcement, there being an opening tion of said opening adjacent an end of the extending through the lug adjacent one end reinforcement to permit the escape of forof the reinforcement.

eign matter downwardly through said open- EDMUND P. KINNE. 5 ing. WVitnesses:

3. A car coupler head having an attaching LAUNA CARLISLE, lug provided With a knuckle pin opening BYRON MoCAUsLAND.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

